Pharmacoeconomics and Quality of Life Parameters Impact on Drug Treatment Patel Jatin* Department of Pharmacy, JJT University, Vidyanagari, Churu Jhunjhunu Road, Chudela, District-Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan-333001, India *Corresponding Author: Jatin Patel, PhD Research Scholar, Department of Pharmacy, JJT University, Vidyanagari, Churu Jhunjhunu Road, Chudela, District-Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan-333001, India Email-jatinpharma85@gmail.com
Online published on 21 February, 2013. Abstract Pharmacoeconomics concerns the application of the methods of economic evaluation of health care programs to interventions involving pharmaceutical products1–7. The purpose of the methods, and the studies, is to help inform programmatic decision-making regarding the appropriateness and availability of health care interventions including drugs. Results of such programmatic decision-making (e.g. formulary listings, clinical guidelines, appropriate prescribing practices) will often impact on treatments for individual patients.The need to use more complete information in decision-making is reflected in the growing number of pharmacoeconomic guideline documents in the literature8–10. Pharmacoeconomic studies compare the costs and consequences of pharmaceutical products with relevant alternatives. These studies are pertinent to the decision-making process when trying to balance additional costs associated with one alternative over another, versus their respective differences in clinical outcome. The overall technical goal of pharmacoeconomics is to identify treatments and drugs which may be worthy of support, such that the overall good that is done is maximized (or equivalently, the opportunity costs incurred are minimized) within the constrained resources available. Pharmacoeconomic studies in their proper role are used to inform decision-making, not to replace it. The studies are not to be used in a thoughtless, mechanistic fashion. They do not replace hard thinking, careful consideration, good judgement and common sense. When properly used and properly qualified, they provide essential information as input into the decision-making process. They are not the only input, however; other considerations such as justice, equity, access, choice and process factors also come into play. Top Keywords Pharmacoeconomics, Health care intervention, Programmatic decision making, Pharmaceutical product. Top |